Wednesday, May 30

Minding My Peas

Eat your peas. That's one thing my mother never had to say to me. I always liked peas, even as a little girl. Why? Probably because my mom never overcooked them, and she always used fresh peas (well, maybe frozen occasionally, but never canned).

All varieties of peas have been available lately in Southern California, and their full flavor and crisp texture is incomparable. In addition to the classic English pea, there is the snow pea and, my favorite, the sugar snap pea.

Now, sometimes peas can be a bit complicated. Do I eat the pod? Can I eat it raw? What exactly does shuck mean? Thankfully, a farmer at our local market recently put up signs:

ENGLISH PEAS: DON’T EAT THE PODS

SUGAR SNAP PEAS: EAT THE WHOLE THING

No one ever has questions about the snow peas; they’re low maintenance.

Is you should ever find yourself in this situation (and don’t have a hand written sign to help you), here’s a pea primer. Pictured below from left to right are the English pea, the snow pea, and the sugar snap pea.

The basic garden pea was cultivated in England, which is why it’s called an “English” pea. When buying English peas, look for plump, deep green, rather heavy pods, as these will have the largest peas. They can be eaten raw or cooked.

To shell the peas, simply snap off the top and pull down, until the stringy spine is removed and the pod opens up; remember to throw away the inedible pod. There are two things you should know about shelling peas:

1. They’re like spinach. You need to start off with a lot more than you think you’ll need; then you should have just enough. In general, 1 pound of peas in their pods yields about 1 cup of shelled peas.

2. Don’t shell peas by yourself. It's no fun. Plus, if you do it alone, then there won't be anyone to prevent you from eating all of the peas before you can make your recipe. Don't laugh. It happened to me. I had to buy more.

Snow peas are typically associated with Asian cuisine; this is no coincidence, since historically, they have been cultivated in Asian countries and are also called Chinese peapods. Ever wonder why they’re flat? It’s because they're harvested while the peas are still underdeveloped. Look for snowpeas that are bright green, flat, and almost translucent. They are entirely edible and can be eaten raw or cooked.

What happens when you cross an English pea and a snow pea? You get the best pea of all: the sugar snap pea. These are crisp and sweeter than English peas and can be eaten raw or cooked (but only briefly, or the flavor and texture will suffer). When selecting sugar snap peas, look for puffed up, bright green pods. Don't worry if the pods have some white scratch marks on them; my local farmer says that's normal. Just remember to “snap” the top of the pea back and pull until you remove the stringy spine on both sides of the pod.

Though I make many dishes that highlight each of these peas, today I decided to share one that includes all three. Using the freshest dill you can find and freshly squeezed orange juice elevates this warm salad to something special. This salad could also be made using all raw vegetables and substituting red onions for the shallots and some olive oil and vinegar for the butter. It's also my submission to Lis of La Mia Cucina and Kelly of Sass and Veracity who are co-hosting Salad Stravaganza.

Warm Three Pea and Radish SaladMakes 4 side servings.Print recipe only here.

In a large skillet, over medium heat, melt butter. Add the shallot; sauté 2-3 minutes. Add radishes, and sauté 1 minute more. Add the orange juice and zest. Once it begins to heat up and bubble, lower the heat, and add the snow peas and sugar snap peas, and cook 1 minute. Add the English peas, and cook another 30 seconds. Turn off heat as peas are best when al dente. Add the fresh dill, and season generously with salt and pepper. Garnish with orange zest, if desired.

Note: If you’d like the dressing a little bit thicker, then simply dissolve about 1 tsp of cornstarch in a little bit of water and add with the orange juice.

Serve as a side salad or over a cooked grain, such as couscous, for a more complete meal.

I have always been a fan of peas, but have never shelled my own fresh english peas. I have always eaten them frozen. This looks like an amazing way to incorporate all three types of peas into one delicious dish.

You know, I've never been a fan of peas, knowing mainly the frozen variety. But last weekend, my wife Marion got some English peas at a produce market and, as our errands continued, began shelling and eating them in the car. I reluctantly tried a podful and became immediately addicted. What an amazing difference from their shriveled frozen brethren!

I had no idea there were three kinds of peas, I was only familiar with the snow pea and sugar snap. In fact I didn't know which was which, just the flat kind and fat kind. The peas are my favorite part so I'm really glad I found out about english peas. Thanks for such a great post! And I hate frozen and canned peas too, they taste nothing like fresh ones.

Susan, I loved (and still do) peas too. The Indian cooking uses fresh peas quite often and I remember I would sit with my grandma cracking the pods and eating them raw!!The cool thing is I just posted a pea dish on my blog too. Now I am gonna link to yours for all the pea info ;-))

Thanks for such an informative post on peas! I love them but I can only find the snow pea here...and maybe once in a blue moon the sugar snap variety. But I'll keep my eyes peeled! I would love to make your salad...

Hi Susan - what a gorgeous salad! I'll always have a soft spot in my heart for fresh peas - I used to love eating them raw and shelled from the garden - a habit I still have to this day. I totally agree with your assessment of not shelling them by yourself for this very reason. :)

What a lovely story Susan, it took me right back to my childhood years. My parents grew peas in the garden and of course I was made to shell them every year. Which I hated at the time but I do kind of miss it now. And of course the upside was eating them straight from the pod. And looking for the occasional little worms peaking out :)

I have a patient who grows sugar snap peas in his garden. I just saw him Wednesday, and he promised he would bring some in to me. The only problem with making the salad is that when he brings me those peas, they never make it home. They're gone by the time I leave work!

But we DO have a farmer's market close by, and I can actually buy the 3 varieties. Thanks for the great recipe (as usual!)...Looking forward to trying it.

What a good post! I have to beg to differ about the english peas, I always go for slimmer pods as these hold lovely, baby sweet peas, that I love to graze on! Although I don't cook this type of pea (there are never any left to cook with), I suppose If you were cooking them you would go for a fatter pod!

Sugar snap peas are my favorite variety, but I like the other too. This was such a great post, from the photos to the interesting into to your making me chuckle with the comment about shucking peas alone and eating them all as a result. You're right, it does happen. Happened to me too, lol.

I have also always loved peas, even as a kid - despite the fact that until I was abotu 20 we only every had Surfmaid canned peas in our house (I think it had to do with my dad loathing vegetables with any real texture!!). I rememebr my half-sister buying fresh peas and sitting on our patio podding them in the sun - that laid the foundation for my current love of podding broad beans in our back garden on summer evenings with a glass of wine at hand ;-) This salad looks just amazing - and I am going to try and participate in the Salad Stavaganza too. Thanks for the heads-up.